Between Gorse and Open Water

What struck me about these scenes was how the wide-open coast only began to feel like a place once...

The view narrows

The hillside begins with no obvious centre, the ocean occupying almost everything beyond the grass [1]. Then yellow gorse and a walking trail organise the view. The coast is no longer just a panorama; it has a line to follow [2].

[1]

a grassy hillside overlooking the ocean on a bright day

[2]

coastal cliffside with yellow gorse bushes and a walking trail overlooking the sea

Three elements render Howth fascinating: the Summit, the Shore, and the sea’s scent blended together.

A point in the distance

The rocky coastline finally gives the eye somewhere to stop: a lighthouse, with a ship farther out at sea [3]. The last view shifts the scale again. People occupy the path and houses enter the coastal landscape, bringing the wide-open scenery back beside ordinary life [4].

[3]

a lighthouse on a rocky coastline with a ship in the distance

[4]

a walking path through a coastal landscape with people and houses

By the final frame, the coastal landscape is no longer empty: walkers and houses have joined the path.

Long Walk? Fish n Chips or Ice Cream, you are covered.